Hitch for an agricultural vehicle

ABSTRACT

A first assembly combinable to the heavy equipment and a second assembly pivotally attached to the first assembly for rotation about a first axis and configured for pivotal attachment to the vehicle for rotation about a second axis. A tow rod extending from the first assembly with a third axis extending therethrough and combinable to the heavy equipment and configured for rotation with respect to the heavy equipment about the third axis.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/137,407 filed on Jan. 14, 2021 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/356,928 filed Jun. 24, 2021. The contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is directed to a hitch for an agricultural vehicle, andmore specifically, this disclosure is directed to a dual axis hitch forhauling heavy equipment.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

When using farm machinery to work a farm, it is necessary to tow heavyequipment across rough and uneven terrain, such as manure tanks, manurespreaders, wagons, and the like. A problem with towing such heavyequipment is the load on the hitch between the tractor and the farmimplement, especially on uneven terrain.

Various hitches have been proposed to provide slack in the hitch toallow the tow bar to move up and down and side to side to accommodatethe jostling of the farm implement. However, these hitches have not beenfully successful in solving the various problems that are associatedwith towing relatively heavy implements. These hitches are prone tosnapping under the heavy loads.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved hitch.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a hitch for towing heavy equipment with a vehicle. Thehitch comprises of a first assembly combinable to the heavy equipmentand a second assembly pivotally attached to the first assembly forrotation about a first axis and configured for pivotal attachment to thevehicle for rotation about a second axis.

In one implementation, the first axis is horizontal to a ground planeand the second axis is vertical with respect to the ground plane. Thiscan mean that the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. Insuch implementations, the second assembly can rotate one-hundred andeighty degrees about the first axis with respect to the first assemblyand the second assembly is rotatable one-hundred and eighty degreesabout the second axis with respect to the vehicle.

In another implementation, the first assembly comprises of a tow rodwith a third axis extending therethrough. The tow rod is combinable tothe heavy equipment and configured for rotation with respect to theheavy equipment about the third axis. In such implementations, the hitchhas a third axis of rotation that is coaxial with a tow rod that isconnected to the heavy equipment. Such an arrangement provides a hitchwith three axes of rotation to provide improved safety for the heavyequipment and the vehicle while extending the useful life of the hitch.

In an embodiment, a steering assembly is provided to attach a steeringrod to the hitch. The steering assembly can be combined to the firstassembly or the second assembly and combinable to a steering rod thatextends to a steering valve in the heavy equipment. The steeringassembly can comprise a top bracket comprising a slot oriented along adirection of the first axis in the top bracket. Positioning theattachment of the steering rod on the slot of the bracket can adjust thesensitivity of the steering valve of the heavy equipment. In thisregard, the farther out on the slot from a center of the top bracket thesteering rod is positioned the faster the steering will react. Thecloser in on the slot from the center of the top bracket the steeringrod is positioned the slower the steering will react.

In an embodiment, the steering assembly can also have a lengthadjustment combined to the steering rod to adjust the length of thesteering rod. This allows for proper alignment of the wheels of theheavy equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will bebetter understood by reading the following detailed description, takentogether with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hitch connecting a farm vehicle to amanure tank according to this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the hitch of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the hitch of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed is a hitch 100 for towing heavy equipment. While hitch 100 canbe used for towing any type of heavy equipment, hitch 100, as shown anddescribed herein, is particularly useful for towing a manure tank 200with a farm vehicle 300. With reference to FIGS. 1-3 , shown is hitch100 for towing manure tank 200 with farm vehicle 300 according to thisdisclosure. In this particular implementation, hitch 100 is designed toconnect at one end to a tow bar 102 that extends to farm vehicle 300. Atthe other end, hitch 100 is connected to a tow rod 106 that is connectedto manure tank 200. Hitch 100 is particularly advantageous for towingmanure tank 200 over rough terrain because it has three axes ofrotation, as shown in FIG. 3 , a first axis 112, a second axis 110, anda third axis 111. This allows manure tank 200 to jostle around in threedimensions of movement without breaking hitch 100. It should be noted,that hitch 100 can be attached to manure tank 200 without third axis 111and still provided improved maneuverability over rough terrain.

Hitch 100 comprises of a first assembly 101 pivotally attached to asecond assembly 103. Second assembly 103 is combinable to the heavyequipment, in the illustrated case farm vehicle 300, via connection totow bar 102 by hitch pin 104. This allows second assembly 103 to pivothorizontally, side-to-side on second axis 110 extending through hitchpin 104. First assembly 101 is pivotally attached to second assembly 103to allow vertical up-and-down movement about a first axis 112. Firstassembly 101 can be fixed to a tow rod 106 that is attachable to manuretank 200 in a manner that allows axial rotation about third axis 111 orattached in a manner without axial rotation about third axis 111.

More specifically, first assembly 101 comprises of a bearing assembly121. Bearing assembly 121 can comprise of a pair of spaced-apartbearings 120 (illustrated as pillow-top bearings) combined to a plate124. Plate 124 has press-fitted therein a shouldered tow rod 106 thatextends from plate 124 and is attachable at its other end to manure tank200. Tow rod 106 comprises of a shoulder of a diameter larger than ahole in the back of plate 124 from which tow rod 106 extends to preventtow rod 106 from separating from first assembly 101. This is an addedsafety feature that prevents manure tank 200 from breaking free fromhitch 100.

Tow rod 106 attaches at its other end to manure tank 200. Tow rod 106has at least one hole 115 machined in its outer end with a collarslideable thereon. Tow rod 106 is positioned into a receiving hole onmanure tank 200, as shown in FIG. 1 . Because tow rod 106 is fixed tohitch 100 and rotatably attached to manure tank 200, hitch 100 rotateswith respect to manure tank 200 about third axis 111 that extendsco-axially with tow rod 106 in the directions of directional arrows 113.

Second assembly 103 comprises of a clevis housing 114 that is combinedto first assembly 101 for rotation of clevis housing 114 with respect tofirst assembly 101 about first axis 112. Clevis housing 114 can compriseof a pair of spaced-apart projecting members 118 with a hole 130extending there-through. Tow bar 102, which is attached to farm vehicle300 at its far end, is positioned between projecting members 118 andattached thereto by a hitch pin 104. This allows tow bar 102 to rotatewith respect to clevis housing 114 about second axis 110 coaxial withhitch pin 104.

Bushings 122 are positioned coaxially in the holes of bearings 120 offirst assembly 101. These bushings 122 can be standard bushings ortension spring bushings, which are easily replaceable from wear. Clevishousing 114 comprises of a tube 116 that is positioned between bearings120 of first assembly 101 and combined together by a pin 123. Pin 123can be provided with a through hole and a series of branched holesformed around the circumference of pin 123 in communication with thethrough hole. A grease insert can be inserted into the through hole toprovide easy lubrication of the area of rotation between tube 116 ofclevis housing 114 and pin 123.

First axis 112 is coaxial with pin 123. This arrangement allows secondassembly 103 to pivot with respect to first assembly 101 about firstaxis 112.

Continuing with second assembly 103, tow bar 102 is further secured tosecond assembly by at least one reinforcement member 134. In theillustrated embodiment, a reinforcement member 134 is positioned on thetop and bottom side of tow bar 102. Reinforcement member 134 comprises ahole 133 that is coaxial with hole 130 of clevis housing 114 and anextending portion 139 that extends along tow bar 102. At least onebushing 136 is positioned between extending portion 139 of reinforcementmember 134 and tow bar 102 and combined thereto by at least one fastener160. On the bottom reinforcement member 134, a hitch pin latch 144 isprovided. Hitch pin latch 144 is a u-shaped bracket that is combined toreinforcement member 134 and extends across hole 133 in reinforcementmember 134 to prevent hitch pin 104 from falling out of hitch 100. Thisis another safety feature that keeps hitch pin 104 in place and preventsit from falling out of hitch 100, which could cause manure tank 200 toseparate from farm vehicle 300.

Disclosed herein is a hitch 100 that has two to three axes of rotation,a first axis 112, a second axis 110, and an optional third axis 111. Inthis arrangement, first axis 112 can be positioned relatively horizontalto a ground plane and second axis 110 can be positioned relativelyvertical with respect to the ground plane. First axis 112 can also beperpendicular to second axis 110. As illustrated, first assembly 101 canpivot with respect to second assembly 103 one-hundred an eighty degreesabout first axis 112. Similarly, second assembly 103 can pivot withrespect to tow bar 102 one-hundred eighty degrees about second axis 110.In practice however, less freedom of movement is required. In thisregard, the respective degrees of movement can be 1 degree to 180degrees (or any degree in between).

When hitch 100 is configured with tow rod 106 and attached to manuretank 200, for example, a third degree of rotation can provided, asdiscussed above. Third axis 111 extends coaxial with tow rod 106 androtates with respect to manure tank 200 in the direction of directionalarrows 113. In this regard, third axis 111 can be perpendicular to firstaxis 112 or second axis 110. Similarly, third axis 111 can rotate withrespect to manure tank 200 three-hundred and sixty degrees. In practicehowever, less freedom of rotation is required. In this regard, therespective degrees of rotation can be 0 degrees to 15 degrees (or anydegree in between) in either direction to allow for the tractor and theimplement to maneuver over uneven terrain without breaking hitch 100.

It can be necessary to attach a steering rod 108 from the heavyequipment; for example, from manure tank 200, to hitch 100. In suchinstances, a steering assembly 150 is provided on hitch 100. Steeringassembly 150 can be connected to either first assembly 101 or secondassembly 103. In the illustrated embodiment, steering assembly 150 isattached to first assembly 101 of hitch 100. Steering rod 108 extendsfrom the steering valve on manure tank 200 to an attachment point 152.

Steering assembly 150 comprises of a top bracket 131 comprising a slot154 oriented along a direction of first axis 112 in top bracket 131. Thepositioning of the attachment point 152 for steering rod 108 in slot 154determines the sensitivity of the steering valve in manure tank 200. Thefarther out on slot 154 from a center of top bracket 131 steering rod108 is positioned the faster the steering will react and the closer inon slot 154 from the center of top bracket 131 steering rod 108 ispositioned the slower the steering will react.

Steering assembly 150 can further comprise of a bottom bracket 138 fixedto first assembly 101. As illustrated, bottom bracket 138 is attached toplate 124 with an optional spacer 140 in between by fasteners 135. Acollar 156 is attached to bottom bracket 138 with a top portion thatextends through a hole 158 in top bracket 131 and locked in place by aretaining ring 137. This arrangement allows bottom bracket 138 to rotatewith respect to top bracket 131. Top bracket 131 is therefore maintainedparallel with tow bar 102 and pivots up and down as first assembly 101moves up and down.

While the principles of the invention have been described herein, it isto be understood by those skilled in the art that this description ismade only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope ofthe invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope ofthe present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown anddescribed herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinaryskill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the presentinvention, which is not to be limited except by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A hitch for towing heavy equipment with a vehicle, thehitch comprising: a first assembly combinable to the heavy equipment; asecond assembly pivotally attached to the first assembly for rotationabout a first axis and configured for pivotal attachment to the vehiclefor rotation about a second axis, wherein the first axis isperpendicular to the second axis, and wherein the first axis ishorizontal to a ground plane and the second axis is vertical withrespect to the ground plane, and wherein the first assembly iscombinable to a tow rod with a third axis extending therethrough, whichtow rod is combinable to the heavy equipment and configured for rotationwith respect to the heavy equipment about the third axis.
 2. The hitchof claim 1, wherein the second assembly is rotatable about the firstaxis with respect to the first assembly and the second assembly isrotatable about the second axis with respect to the vehicle.
 3. Thehitch of claim 1, wherein the third axis is perpendicular to the firstaxis and to the second axis.
 4. The hitch of claim 1, wherein the firstassembly comprises of a bearing assembly and the second assemblycomprises of a clevis housing, wherein the clevis housing is combined tothe bearing assembly by a pin, wherein the first axis is defined by therotation of the clevis housing with respect to the bearing assembly. 5.The hitch of claim 1, and further comprising a steering assemblycombined to the first assembly or the second assembly and combinable toa steering rod that extends to a steering valve in the heavy equipment.6. The hitch of claim 5, wherein the steering assembly comprises of atop bracket comprising a slot oriented along a direction of the firstaxis in the top bracket, wherein positioning an attachment of thesteering rod on the slot of the bracket adjusts a sensitivity of thesteering valve of the heavy equipment such that farther out on the slotfrom a center of the top bracket the steering rod is positioned thefaster the steering will react and closer in on the slot from the centerof the top bracket the steering rod is positioned the slower thesteering will react.
 7. The hitch of claim 6, and further comprising alength adjustment combined to the steering rod to adjust a length of thesteering rod.
 8. The hitch of claim 7, wherein the steering assembly iscombined to the first assembly, wherein the steering assembly furthercomprises of a bottom bracket fixed to the first assembly and the topbracket rotatably attached to the bottom bracket.
 9. The hitch of claim1, wherein the heavy equipment is a manure tank and the vehicle is afarm vehicle.
 10. The hitch of claim 1, wherein the first axis is ahorizontal axis and the second axis is a perpendicular axis, wherein thesecond assembly is rotatable about the horizontal axis with respect tothe first assembly and the second assembly is rotatable about the secondaxis with respect to the vehicle; wherein the hitch further comprises ofa steering assembly combined to the first assembly or the secondassembly and combinable to a steering rod that extends to a steeringvalve in the heavy equipment.
 11. A hitch for towing heavy equipmentwith a vehicle, the hitch comprising: a first assembly combinable to theheavy equipment; a second assembly pivotally attached to the firstassembly for rotation about a first axis and configured for pivotalattachment to the vehicle for rotation about a second axis, wherein thesecond assembly comprises of a clevis housing that is combined to thefirst assembly for rotation of the clevis housing with respect to thefirst assembly about the first axis, and wherein the clevis housingfurther comprises of a pair of spaced-apart projecting members with ahole extending therethrough and configured to receive a tow bar that isattached at its other end to the vehicle, and wherein the hole isconfigured to receive a hitch pin to attach the tow bar to the clevishousing of the second assembly, and wherein the tow bar rotates withrespect to the clevis housing about the second axis extending throughthe hitch pin.
 12. The hitch of claim 11, and further comprising areinforcement member comprising a hole that is coaxial with the hole ofthe clevis housing and an extending portion that extends along the towbar; and at least one busing positioned between the extending portion ofthe reinforcement member and the tow bar and combined thereto by afastener.
 13. The hitch of claim 12, and further comprising a hitch pinlatch combined to the reinforcement member and extending across the holein the reinforcement member to prevent the hitch pin from falling out ofthe hole extending through the spaced-apart projecting members.